Maleficent
by SXLSolace
Summary: What do you do when your boyfriend's childhood friend comes back? Obviously smile kindly and become best friends. Immediately. Well, what do you do when your boyfriend's childhood friend is replacing you? Well, that's when you need to make the choice. Leave, or stay long enough to find yourself becoming a little more.. Maleficent? ( M for language and adult themes )


**Maleficent**

**All characters belong to Hiro Mashima, praise for creating Fairy Tail.**

**I had this idea stuck in my head for a while, and decided to finally get it out of my mind and onto computer. Hope you guys enjoy it!**

_"All good is hard. All evil is easy. Dying, losing, cheating, and mediocrity is easy. Stay away from easy." (Scott Alexander)_

* * *

Lucy Heartfilia sighed as she tied up her blonde hair, using a blue hair band to pull up golden locks into a ponytail at the side of her head. Bright eyes looked into a mirror, only to find a dull, uninspiring look staring back at her. Frowning, the girl played with her face, pulling her cheeks and rubbing her face until she came up with a more... happy smile.

Leaves were falling off trees outside, auburn and orange colours mixing together as they danced, falling gently onto the earth, marking the beginning of fall and the beginning of a school year. Lucy's second school year, as a sophomore at Magnolia High School. She had bought her school supplies right when the supplies list had become public on Magnolia HS's website, and she could remember feeling excited about the summer. However, when she looked back on it in the precious moments alone in her bathroom, she only saw a summer wasted.

She had been _supposed _to go out on dates with her boyfriend, Natsu Dragneel, who had finally asked her after so long! Instead, the two had drifted apart. Lucy was forced to go to endless cheer practices and classes in preparation for the new school year, while Natsu had gone off somewhere with his friend, Gray Fullbuster, to "train". Whatever that meant. That didn't necessarily mean that they hadn't gone out, though. Each meeting was joyful, jubilant, full of energy. A small smile found its way on Lucy's lips when she remembered the time she and Natsu and gone out on a picnic, and Natsu had been attacked by a rabid squirrel... but as soon as the two left, the girl's heart ached more than ever, knowing that their next meeting would be even further away than before.

She supposed school wasn't that bad. Yes, tests and homework were terrible, but she was eager to meet Natsu again. The Heartfilia caught her reflection in the mirror again, and saw her bright smile, lips spread in an effortless grin. Perhaps... Perhaps this school year wouldn't be so bad.

* * *

As students in the school uniforms came streaming into their classrooms, Lisanna found herself... Lost. Hopelessly lost.

She was excited coming back to Magnolia after all these years, but the short-haired girl found herself confused by the maze of hallways. Her schedule said 2-E for first period, English, but she couldn't make sense of these confusing halls. As she had her nose buried in her neat folder, trying to decipher a confusing map, she found herself bumping into someone. "Gah!"

Blinking slightly as she tried to clear the stars from swimming around her head, Lisanna looked up to see a blonde girl, about her age, leaning down at her. The girl's cerulean eyes were wide with worry, glossy pink lips open in a perfect "O".

The girl gasped, her hand held out immediately to help Lisanna up. "I'm so sorry!" she apologized, sincerity quite evident in her voice. Lisanna took it hesitantly, and was surprised to find that she had a surprisingly strong grip, easily lifting her up. "Oh, gosh, I just didn't see you..."

Lisanna blushed, although she couldn't much help it. "I-It's my fault," she said, picking up her books from the floor. Just what she needed. Attention. Lisanna wanted to fit in, at least until she found Natsu and the gang. She didn't feel safe without her past friends.

"No, no, really," the girl was insisting. "My name's Lucy Heartfilia."

"Lisanna Strauss," Lisanna replied, and they exchanged an awkward handshake. Part of her wanted to ask this seemingly popular girl where her classroom was, the other part wishing to run and hide. Luckily, it seemed like the blonde girl knew what was on Lisanna's mind.

"Did you need help finding your room?" As a member of the varsity cheer squad, Lucy found it her duty to help out anybody in need. Especially after she had knocked somebody down. Peeking over at Lisanna's folder, she grinned. "You have the same class as me! 2-E with Mr. Conbolt, yes? Come on, I'll show you the way!" This girl was obviously new. Lucy could tell just from the way she stood, or the way she spoke. Either that or she was insanely shy. Maybe both?

Lisanna nodded gratefully, and followed Lucy. There was something of an awkward silence between them, and Lucy couldn't help but feel a little bit more than slightly uncomfortable. She was a more... social person by nature, and although knocking someone over was a good excuse to meet someone, she was pulling blanks at how to create a conversation. It turned out, however, that she didn't need to.

As soon as she opened the door, her lips immediately turned towards a smile. Natsu! She raised a hand in greeting, but before Lucy could even say hello...

_WHAM!_

Lisanna buried her face in Natu's chest. She had ran towards the salmon-haired boy immediately, and he caught her. The Strauss couldn't believe how much he had changed, how his arms had become so strong, or how... how much more handsome he had become. "Natsu!" she laughed, hugging him tightly. And she was reassured when she felt him wrapping his arms around her waist, just like nothing had changed.

Unfortunately, the happy mood broke almost immediately.

"N... Natsu?"

Lisanna turned around, still hugging Natsu, but her eyes widened when he... he pulled away? It was gentle, and meant as a friendly gesture, not forceful, but Lisanna was still shocked. Lucy stood by the door, her eyes wide.

A mixture of emotions were rising in Lucy's chest. Past girlfriend? Childhood friend? Maybe they met at a summer camp? Anger, humiliation, hurt, and confusion was all mashed together, and clearly evident through the way Lucy looked at her boyfriend. The two of them were relatively popular, even amongst the higher grades, and near everyone knew of their relationship.

"Oh! Lucy!" It wasn't noticeable, but both girls detected the slight hint of worry in Natsu's voice. "I... I'm glad to see you again!" His voice was forced into an upbeat tone. Whether it was because of how awkward the situation was, only God and Natsu knew.

"Likewise." The Heartfilia's voice was slightly cold now.

"This... This is Lisanna," Natsu explained. He was in quite the predicament now, and even the star football quarterback couldn't defend himself from the onslaught of fury he was definitely going to receive later.

"We've met," Lucy said, her voice now icy. Lisanna shivered at her reaction. What was her problem, anyways? Then it hit the light-haired girl. Girlfriend. She was slightly hurt that Natsu had gotten into a relationship, especially when throughout her middle school and freshman years, all that was on Lisanna's mind was the salmon-haired boy himself. The smallest, smallest part of the girl was hoping that maybe, maybe they would break up. After all, she never got over her crush with Natsu from her childhood days. The much larger part was quite ashamed of this thought.

"Lucy, I-"

"Save it for lunch." Lucy's words cut hard into Natsu's sentence. Her body posture made it clear that she was done for talking. Natsu could only fall back, defeated. Everybody knew that it was useless trying to talk to someone when they were sitting like _that. _However, the salmon haired boy looked almost as if he was actually going to open his mouth and speak, when-

A slam of a book on table made all the students jump. They hadn't realized, but the prospect of juicy gossip on the first day of school had been too much, and nobody had noticed a tall, dark blue haired man with a scruffy looking mustache, and an unshaven face. Although his face was already dotted with wrinkles, his eyes were sparkling with life.

"Shut up kids," he said. His voice was powerful. Loud. "And welcome to your sophomore year in high school."

* * *

Mirajane hummed to herself, smiling as a pair of customers walked in to the cafe. She had recently found work here, at a small little cafe near her siblings' school. She had started working mid-summer, when she and her siblings had moved back to Magnolia. While Lisanna and Elfman were occupied with some sort of camp, Mirajane was getting used to the town. Sure, she had grown up here, but things change in the span of a few years.

It didn't take long for her to find work. An old friend of hers was looking to hire. The pay was good, at least for being a waitress, and she got to interact with people every day. She knew that it was important to keep updated with the town's up-and-comings, and working as a waitress was probably the best job for that. The second best might've been being mayor... but that was besides the point.

The two that had just walked in seemed quite young, and quite... opposite.

One of them had pale blonde hair, with a scar running down his right eyebrow. He walked in quite confidently, albeit quite lazily as well, and seated himself with his legs spread, his back sloping against the chair. Pale blue eyes watched Mirajane as she walked forward, presenting the two menus. He ignored much of her greetings, instead burying his nose into the menu. Something close to anger twitched in the Strauss's head, but she fought it down.

The other was dark and mysterious, quiet and gloomy. He reeked an aura of malevolence, as well as some sort of brooding... ish attitude. Part of her wondered if he was going for a vampire-like look, which made her fight to keep a giggle down. He was certainly pulling it off, anyways, with how he seemed to glare at the menu, mixed with an angsty stare that looked as if the menu had broken up with him.

Mirajane walked over after a few minutes. Usually she could read when her customers were ready to order, but now... It was a complete mystery. The blonde one had shifted the position of his menu every few seconds, and sometimes he looked at it, and other times he just stared at either his... his friend? His friend, or outside the window. So, the woman gave them ten minutes before walking over.

"May I take your order?" Mirajane asked, putting on her most friendly smile.

"Two slices of mud and a chocolate wafer milkshake for me, babe," the blonde one grinned. His voice came out in a lazy drawl.

Mirajane jotted this down, before turning to the dark haired boy. It felt like eons before he spoke, and the Strauss was definitely feeling a bit more than awkward when he uttered a simple "chai tea". She gave a slight laugh, trying to ease the tension, before rushing back to the chef, trying to move as gracefully as possible.

It was mid-morning, and the two were the only customers there. People had work, or school. So, when their order was ready, Mirajane decided she could at least try to hold conversation. Besides, it was good to get regular customers, and if she made a good impression, they might come again. Though the woman didn't exactly enjoy their visit, she wasn't against a little extra in the tip jar every now and then.

"Don't you two have school?" she asked, the friendly smile still plastered on her face.

While the blonde dug into his cake immediately, the dark haired boy sipped his tea slowly. It was, unsurprisingly, the cake-eater that spoke.

"First day," he said between bites of the chocolate. "Never important, so why bother?"

"Oh?" What an interesting little... philosophy. "My two siblings just started school today, as well. Which one do you two go to, if I may ask?"

"Magnolia High School," was the answer, slightly muffled next to the desert. Mirajane was a little bit worried when she heard this. These two looked a bit like rascals, and it was only natural that she wished the students that attended Elfman and Lissana's school were a bit more polite. "Sophomores." Oh joy. That'd be Lissana's grade. Elfman was in his senior year today, so hopefully he would have a bit of a better time than Lissana.

"How wonderful," Mirajane lied through her teeth. She would have continued her conversation when the chef called out her name. "Oh! Sorry, I'll be right back with you two, gentlemen," she said, thankful for the excuse to leave. She had gotten all the information she had been seeking, and was grateful when her employer called out her name.

Her red-haired employer had a fiery temper, as well as a fiery reputation. She pointed a knife towards Mirajane. Now, normally, Mira would have buckled, but she was used to it by now. "I don't pay you to talk, do I?" Although her words were harsh, they were delivered with a playful tone.

"No, you don't, Erza," Mirajane smiled. "Apologies. I'll get to work immediately." This, too, was delivered in a jubilant manner, and the Strauss went back to sorting out coffee beans, or organizing the soup ladles.

* * *

By lunch, what had happened in first period was spreading everywhere. And everywhere Lisanna went, eyes followed. Not that she really minded, anyways. Most of the time she was with Natsu, and that made her content enough.

The look on Lucy's face continued to bug her, though. It was so... betrayed. So full of anguish, and then hidden by a stone mask. Boy, Lisanna knew how to relate to that. But what did that blonde know, anyways? Hopefully, they weren't actually going out. At least, that was what the youngest Strauss had been praying for. However, whispers and rumors flying around school bore the same thread- Lucy and Natsu were a coupe. A thing.

Didn't people have anything better to talk about? Lisanna was grateful that she shared her fourth period with Natsu as well, free from Lucy. She noticed that her friend seemed a bit more... twitchy. Worried. Anxious. What was so good about that girl anyways?

The bell rang, and the shuffling of paper into backpacks could be heard. Natsu was the first one at the door, as always, but he waited for Lisanna. That made her smile. She was still important in Natsu's life. She couldn't be replaced. After all, if he didn't care about her anymore, he wouldn't wait for her, would he? Lisanna didn't like feeling left out, or replaced. In fact, realizing that she could be forgotten had left a huge impact on her when she first left Magnolia.

_I'll make sure that never happens again._

Natsu gave her a smile, and she was able to sink back to the fantasy that it was like before. Nothing had changed.

"Come on, the rest of the gang are dying to meet you," he said.

The rest of the gang? "You mean Gray? And Levy? And Marco?"

"Nah," Natsu shrugged. "Marco's not in high school yet. 8th grade. But yeah, everybody's waiting for you. I can't wait to introduce you to my friends!" His voice was upbeat and happy as ever, but Lisanna hadn't missed that. _MY _friends.

The lunchroom was crowded, but people made room for Lisanna and Natsu as they waded through seas of people to make their way to a single table. Immediately, Lisanna could tell that it was one of the more crowded tables. The one that many others looked for, either to hear some news or to see something spectacular. She smiled inwardly. Obviously, it would be _her _gang that would sit at _this _type of table.

Grey was the one who noticed first.

"Lisanna!"

"Lisanna?"

"Lisanna!"

Cries of her name erupted from the table, and the girl found herself surrounded in hugs. And she felt safe. Loved. Content.

Lucy watched, sitting at her seat in the lunch table, before standing up, throwing the remains of her lunch in a trash can, and walking away. And for a moment, it seemed as if at least Levy would call out her name, but instead, the blonde's seat was almost immediately occupied by the youngest member of the Strauss family, and Lucy was temporarily forgotten.

* * *

**Did you guys like it? Please review with any opinions or ideas, and thank you for reading.**


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